On Monday, President Trump hosted a meeting of the White House Religious Liberty Commission. During the event, held at the Museum of the Bible in Washington, D.C., the president touched on a variety of issues in a speech that included criticisms of recent comments by Tim Kaine on the origins of rights in the U.S., celebrating “school choice” victories in states across the country and lauding a Department of Justice task force to “eradicate anti-Christian bias.”
The event coincided with an announcement of the White House’s “America Prays” initiative, which provides resources for citizens to pray for the country leading up to the 2026 celebration of the nation’s 250th birthday.
The meeting and initiative received immediate pushback from religious liberty advocates.
In a statement, Rachel Laser, president and CEO of Americans United for Separation of Church and State, said, “People who care about religious freedom don’t need to be told when or how to pray; they need leaders who are committed to separation of church and state.”
Laser added that during the hour-long public meeting, the commission “ignored the most serious threats,” including “mandates to display the Ten Commandments and teach from the Bible to Christianity-infused curriculum and the installation of school chaplains.”
Amanda Tyler, executive director of BJC (Baptist Joint Committee for Religious Liberty), issued a similar response: “President Trump’s speech was not about religious liberty; it was about perpetuating Christian nationalism. Calling for government to ‘bring back religion in America,’ privilege so-called ‘Judeo-Christian principles’ above all others, and direct the Department of Education to issue new guidance on prayer in public schools turns the Constitution on its head and invites government interference where it does not belong.”
The White House Religious Liberty Commission was created earlier this year to address what the administration claims are threats to “America’s unique and beautiful tradition of religious liberty.” It has been tasked with delivering a report to the president with its recommendations by July 4, 2026.
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